The present invention relates to a prevention system and a method of preventing infectious diseases, that is applied suitably in an ordinary home or a facility such as a hospital, a food factory and the like. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying fluids that can be suitably used for a prevention system and a method of preventing infectious diseases.
As is well known, gargling, washing hands, and disinfecting fingers with a disinfectant are encouraged in medical facilities such as hospitals, in order to prevent infectious diseases such as MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), VRE(vancomycin resistant Entrococcus) and the like. It is possible to an extent to prevent people from being infected by infectious diseases in medical facilities such as hospitals by striving for gargling and washing hands. However, now in an aging society, there also is a fear of becoming infected with infectious diseases in an ordinary home or household since what is called home nursing is increasing.
Influenza often prevails when the seasons change. It is known that gargling and washing hands are effective for preventing an infectious disease such as influenza. Furthermore, it is known that gargling and washing hands when getting home from outside improve the patient""s ability to prevent an allergic disease such as hay fever (a pollinosis).
As mentioned above, gargling and washing hands is effective for preventing infectious diseases and allergic diseases. In particular, people can effectively prevent being infected by an infectious disease by gargling and washing hands before taking off their shoes just after they get home.
The gargling and washing hands are usually conducted by using a sink and a water supply function provided in a washroom. However, in an ordinary household, since the washroom is usually located far from an entrance, it is troublesome for an inhabitant to go directly to the washroom just after coming home from outside, or he is apt to forget to do so. Therefore, it is hard to expect that gargling and washing hands will be reliably conducted before taking off one""s shoes just after one gets home.
Furthermore, in a facility such as a food factory and the like, usually the employees have to gargle and wash their hands as a matter of course before they start to work in the factory. However, in a case where a washroom for gargling and washing hands is not located near an entrance to the factory, there is a fear that they will forget to gargle and wash their hands.
As an apparatus which is to be placed in a washroom for gargling and washing hands, there is a known apparatus provided with a plurality of fluid supply mechanisms for supplying different kinds of fluids such as a gargle fluid and hand washing water. The apparatus also has a valve or a nozzle (what is called a faucet or a tap) having a discharge port at the tip thereof disposed on the upper portion of the sink for each fluid supply mechanism. The different kinds of fluids include, for example, chemicals such as soapy water, a disinfectant and a gargle fluid except for water and warm water for washing hands. Furthermore, there is also known an apparatus that can supply warm air in addition to those liquids.
However, in the above-mentioned apparatus, it is required, for each fluid supply mechanism, to manufacture a valve or a nozzle (a faucet) by using a casting process, for example, and also to mount them on the upper portion of the sink. The production of these parts costs a great deal and takes a lot of time, and it is a real bottleneck in attempting to reduce the manufacturing cost of the whole apparatus.
Furthermore, as a fluid supply apparatus for gargling and washing hands, there is known an apparatus provided with a common cover of a hollow covering member made of resin, for example, standing on the upper surface of the sink. In this kind of apparatus, a discharge port of each fluid supply mechanism is provided at a predetermined position of the common cover, instead of providing each fluid supply mechanism with what is called a faucet.
According to such a constitution, a supply tube of each fluid supply mechanism is connected to the corresponding discharge port in the cover, so that the need for providing each fluid supply mechanism with a faucet individually is eliminated.
However, in order to manufacture such a cover, it is required to prepare exclusive molding dies and to mold the cover by filling resin material into the exclusive molding dies. Also, it is required to prepare various types of molding dies in accordance with the type of fluid supply apparatus, since numbers and/or types of the discharge holes to be formed in the cover are changed. In addition, the design of the cover itself is sometimes changed in accordance with the type of fluid supply apparatus. Furthermore, in such a case, the covers are to be manufactured in small lots. Accordingly, the manufacturing cost including the expense for molding dies increases a great deal, and it is hard to achieve a successive cost reduction in comparison with the case where a faucet is provided individually for each fluid supply mechanism when they are manufactured in small lots.
Furthermore, such a cover is usually mounted upright on a sink along the periphery of a concavity or recess thereof. In the case of a prior art cover, since it is considerably large and high, it will cover a part of the recess when it is mounted upright on the sink. Thus, a part of the light from above is blocked by the cover, and the user has to suffer much inconvenience in using the fluid supply apparatus when he washes his hands since a part of the sink recess is darkened at his hands. Furthermore, such an arrangement is not preferable from the view of design and appearance of the apparatus since it gives the impression of being untidy at the periphery of the sink.
The present invention has been developed in view of above-mentioned technical problems. A purpose of the present invention is to provide a system and a method effective for prevention of infectious diseases. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for supplying fluids that preferably can be utilized suitably for the above-mentioned system.
Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention provides a prevention system against infectious diseases, comprising: a fluid supply apparatus provided with a sink and a plurality of fluid supply mechanisms for supplying different kinds of fluids, having at least a hand washing function and a gargle supply function, and disposed near a doorway in a building. A human body detection sensor detects a person entering into the building from the doorway and a voice output apparatus outputs a vocal sound to recommend that the person conduct gargling and hand washing when the human body detection sensor detects him or her.
Also, a second aspect of the present invention provides a method of preventing infectious diseases, comprising the steps of: arranging a fluid supply apparatus near a doorway in a building, wherein the fluid supply apparatus is provided with a sink and a plurality of fluid supply mechanisms for supplying different kinds of fluids, and having at least a hand washing function and a gargle supply function; and outputting a vocal sound to recommend that a person conduct gargling and hand washing when he or she enters into the building from the doorway.
According to the first or the second aspect of the present invention, a person entering the building from a doorway is recommended to wash their hands and gargle by a voice, and the chemical supply apparatus A is provided near the doorway. Therefore, the person can wash his or her hands and gargle without feeling troubled. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent infectious diseases. Allergy can also be prevented effectively.
Further, a third aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for supplying fluids, and the apparatus includes a plurality of fluid supply mechanisms for supplying different kinds of fluids, and a discharge port of each fluid supply mechanism is provided in a predetermined portion of a common unit-body disposed on an upper portion of a sink. The unit-body is provided with a pipe-shaped body disposed generally along at least a part of the periphery of a recess in a sink, and a base pedestal of which at least a part is formed hollow. The unit-body (pipe-shaped body) is mounted on an upper surface of the sink at an outer side of the recess periphery through the base pedestal.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, a unit-body (pipe-shaped body) having a pipe-like shaped body is provided on a sink along at least a part of the periphery of the sink recess, so that the system is simple and compact, and an outer design of the apparatus exhibits a simple and clean image. Therefore, the apparatus can suitably be installed in a hall or the like of an ordinary household without feeling a sense of congruity. When the above-described infection prevention system is applied to an ordinary household, the chemical supply apparatus can preferably be used. Especially, the pipe-shaped body is mounted on the upper surface of the sink at an outer side from the periphery of the recess, and the pipe-shaped body does not cover a portion of the recess from the periphery thereof Therefore, unlike the prior art using a cover body, when a user washes his or her hands, the hands are not darkened, and the user""s comfort is not hindered. Further, because the body is pipe-shaped, it is possible to use a commercial pipe material, and as compared with the conventional resin mold cover body, a producing-cost including mode can be reduced.
In the fluid supply apparatus, it is preferable that the plurality of fluid supply mechanisms include at least two fluid supply mechanisms for supplying hand washing water, warm water, soapy water, a disinfectant, a gargle fluid and warm air.
In this case, it is possible to preferably wash hands, or in addition to this, to gargle.
Further, in the above fluid supply apparatus, it is preferable that the plurality of fluid supply mechanisms include fluid supply mechanisms for supplying either one of hand washing water or warm water, soapy water and a disinfectant and a gargle fluid.
In this case, it is possible to wash hands, disinfect the hands hygienically, and to gargle. Therefore, the chemical supply apparatus can suitably be used as the chemical supply apparatus when the infection prevention system is applied.
Furthermore, in the above fluid supply apparatus, it is preferable that a detection sensor for detecting a user""s operating motion to use a fluid of a discharge port of the unit-body is provided at a vicinity of the discharge port. By detecting the user""s operating motion using the detection sensor, a fluid supply mechanism corresponding to the discharge port is driven, and the fluid is automatically supplied from the discharge port.
In this case, the fluid supply mechanism is driven to automatically supply the fluid from the discharge port. Therefore, it is unnecessary for users to touch the apparatus with their hands, and it is possible to wash and disinfect the hands more hygienically.
Furthermore, in the above fluid supply apparatus, it is preferable that the plurality of fluid supply mechanisms include at least a fluid supply mechanism for supplying a gargle, and the fluid supply apparatus is provided with a gargle discharge switch that is to be operated when the gargle is discharged from the discharge port.
In this case, it is possible to gargle in accordance with the will of the user. Therefore, the apparatus can preferably be used as the fluid supply apparatus when the infection prevention system of the invention is applied.
Furthermore, in the above fluid supply apparatus, it is preferable that a fluid supply mechanism for supplying a chemical, one of the plurality of fluid supply mechanisms, feeds the chemical from a chemical container to a corresponding discharge port, and the unit-body is provided with an alarm device for sounding an alarm when a remaining amount of the chemical in the chemical container is reduced below a predetermined level. In this case, it is possible to replenish the chemical, and to avoid a situation in which the remaining amount of chemical becomes zero and the chemical actually runs out.
Furthermore, in the above fluid supply apparatus, it is preferable that the base pedestal of the unit-body is made of synthetic resin and is formed generally U-shaped in cross section so that an upper side is opened. The pipe-shaped body supported on an upper surface of the base pedestal is made of metal and provided with a threaded hole at a predetermined portion in a lower part thereof, and is fastened to the base pedestal by tightening a screw member into the threaded hole from a bottom of the base pedestal. The base pedestal is fastened to the sink through metal washers and screw members disposed above and below the bottom plate of the base pedestal.
In this case, it is possible to easily and reliably mount the unit body having the resin base pedestal and the metal pipe body to the upper surface of the sink.
Furthermore, in the above fluid supply apparatus, it is preferable that basic constituent elements of each fluid supply mechanism except for each discharge port, and piping elements and electric wiring elements be placed inside the pipe-shaped body or the base pedestal so as to be accommodated in a single accommodation case, and the accommodation case is disposed at the vicinity of the sink.
In this case, the basic constituent elements of each fluid supply mechanism can be assembled separately from the assembling operation of the apparatus and can be accommodated in the single accommodation case, and the assembling work of each fluid supply mechanism is facilitated. The basic constituent elements of the assembled fluid supply mechanism can easily be moved together with the single accommodation case. Therefore, the assembling operation of the apparatus is facilitated, inspection and repair work at the time of maintenance is facilitated, and service is also enhanced. Further, even if the design of the sink is varied, the basic constituent elements of each fluid supply mechanism accommodated in the single accommodation case can commonly be used, and efficiency when various kinds of chemical supply apparatuses are produced can be enhanced.
Furthermore, in the above fluid supply apparatus, it is preferable that the sink is formed into the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. In this case, the chemical supply apparatus can agreeably be disposed in a hall of an ordinary household. Further, even when stone material (which adds a quality appearance to the sink and which is excellent in design) is used as material for the sink, it is easy to form its outer shape.
Furthermore, in the above fluid supply apparatus, it is preferable that the unit-body is divided into a plurality of unit-body pieces substantially along at least a part of a periphery of a recess of the sink. In this case, it is possible to enhance the flexibility of the layout of the unit body itself and the discharge port of each fluid supply mechanism.
Furthermore, a fourth aspect of the present invention provides a fluid supply apparatus including a plurality of fluid supply mechanisms for supplying different kinds of fluids, and discharge ports of the fluid supply mechanisms are disposed on an upper portion of a sink. A detection sensor for detecting a user""s motion to use a fluid to be supplied by each discharge port of the unit-body is provided respectively at a vicinity of the discharge port. By detecting the user""s operating motion using the detection sensor, a fluid supply mechanism corresponding to the discharge port is driven and the fluid is automatically supplied from the discharge port. A central detection sensor disposed at a position corresponding approximately to a center of the sink recess periphery far from a user of a sink is set such that a detecting direction points to approximately a center of the sink recess. The other detection sensors are set such that their detecting directions become estranged from the direction points to approximately a center of the sink recess to a closer direction to the user by a predetermined angle.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when a user puts a hand with in the sensing range of the central detection sensor, other sensors can be prevented from erroneously detecting this motion. When the user puts a hand within the sensing range of another sensor, the central detection sensor can be prevented from erroneously detecting this motion.
In the fluid supply apparatus, it is preferable that the discharge port of each fluid supply mechanism is provided at a predetermined portion of a common unit-body, and the common unit-body is disposed on an upper portion of the sink. In this case, the above effect obtained by the above fluid supply apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention can similarly be obtained in a fluid supply apparatus in which a discharge port of each fluid supply mechanism is provided on a predetermined portion of a common unit body, and the unit body is disposed on an upper portion of a sink.